Vladimir Lenin

Resolution Adopted At A Joint Session Of

The All-Russia Central Executive Committee, The Moscow Soviet, Factory Committees And Trade Unions

October 22, 1918

Presented:22 October, 1918.First PublishedIzvestiaNo. 231 October 23, 1918; Published according to the manuscriptSource:Lenin’s Collected Works, 	Progress Publishers, Moscow, Volume 28, 1974, pages 127-129Translated (and edited):Jim RiordanTranscription/HTML Markup:David WaltersOnline Version:V.I.Lenin Internet Archive, 2002

The proletarian and peasant revolutionary movement against the
      imperialist war has recently had tremendous successes in all
      countries, especially in the Balkans, Austria and Germany. These
      successes, however, have particularly embittered the
      international bourgeoisie, now headed by the Anglo-American and
      French bourgeoisie, and have forced them to make hasty efforts
      to organise themselves as a counter-revolutionary force for
      crushing the revolution and, above all for crushing Soviet power
      in Russia, which is the chief hotbed of revolution at present.

The German bourgeoisie and the German Government, defeated in
      the war and threatened by a mighty revolutionary movement from
      within, are threshing about in their search for salvation. One
      trend in the ruling circles of Germany still hopes by delays to
      gain time before the winter and to prepare for the
      country’s military defence on a new line of
      fortifications. Another trend is feverishly seeking agreement
      with the Anglo-French bourgeoisie against the revolutionary
      proletariat and the Bolsheviks. Since this trend is running up
      against the flat refusal of the victors, the Anglo-French
      imperialists, to strike a bargain, it is trying to frighten them
      with the Bolshevik danger and bribe them by offering its
      services against the Bolsheviks, against the proletarian
      revolution.

The bourgeoisie of the countries subordinated to Germany or
      occupied by her are still more eagerly seeking agreement with
      the Entente, especially in those cases—as, for example, in
      Finland, the Ukraine, etc.—where they are aware that it is
      completely impossible for them to maintain power over the
      exploited working people without the aid of foreign bayonets.

Owing to these circumstances, Soviet power finds itself in the
      following peculiar situation: on the one hand, we have never
      been so close to an international proletarian revolution as we
      are now; on the other hand, we have never been in such a
      perilous position as we are now. There are no longer two
      approximately equal groups of imperialist plunderers, devouring
      and weakening each other. There remains a single group of
      victors, the Anglo-French imperialists, which intends to divide
      the whole world among the capitalists. It intends to overthrow
      Soviet power in Russia at all costs and replace it by bourgeois
      power. It is preparing now to attack Russia from the South,
      through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea, for example, or
      through Bulgaria and Rumania. Moreover, at least a part of the
      Anglo-French imperialists evidently hope that the German
      Government, by a direct or tacit agreement with them, will
      withdraw its troops from the Ukraine only as the latter becomes
      occupied by Anglo-French troops, so as not to allow the
      otherwise inevitable victory of the Ukrainian workers and
      peasants and their establishment of a Ukrainian workers’
      and peasants’ government.

Behind the back of the Krasnov and whiteguard
      counter-revolutionaries, preparations are being made for an
      attack against us by a much more dangerous force, the force of
      the international counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie, with the
      Anglo-American and French bourgeoisie in first place. This is a
      fact that is not realised everywhere and the awareness of which
      has not penetrated deep down among the broad mass of the workers
      and peasants. We must therefore tirelessly imbue this awareness
      in the people. The most assiduous attention must be devoted to
      strengthening the Southern Front and establishing and arming an
      incomparably mightier Red Army than we have now. Every
      workers’ organisation, every union of poor peasants, every
      Soviet institution must again and again give priority to the
      question of strengthening the army, and repeatedly re-examine
      whether we have done enough, and what new measures we could and
      should undertake.

A marked change has taken place in the mood of our workers and
      peasants. The people have overcome their extreme
      war-weariness. An army is being created and has been created. A
      new, communist discipline, a class-conscious discipline of the
      working people, has developed. And this fact gives us every
      reason to confidently expect that we can and will defend our
      socialist homeland and secure the victory of the international
      proletarian revolution.